Lotus-eater

Yeah i immediately passed this one by. A lot of photo editing, and not competent editing at that, going on.

An update on Allenmi and the very likely use of stolen pictures. A reverse image search on his current picture #2 leads to an X account that then leads to an Instagram account under the same name of an ultra-hot masseur in Guangzhou, with pictures of him in China as recent as May 4. Picture #1 is also in the masseur's Insta feed.

What makes you think that the guys in the pictures are the guys who actually scammed you? You do understand that it’s quite easy to copy pictures of good looking guys off of the internet and post them to sites, right? 
 
That’s part of the scam. 

I think a masseur should post a baseline 60 min incall rate on his RentMasseur ad, perhaps his lowest rate should he offer multiple. A few only offer outcalls. In that case, his base hourly rate should include some nominal amount for travel, and he should make this clear in the ad copy.
Masseurs can specify in the ad that he offers different styles, hot stones, 4-hand, or whatever else and tell the client there that rates vary on factors like travel, modality, etc and prompt the client to ask more about his services for a quote. He need not be completely explicit about anything sexual to get the message across that “we need to talk about what you want” before quoting. The baseline rate signals to the client the minimum he should expect to be paying for an hour of the masseur’s time. That saves time on both sides.
That’s just me. Some clients are more comfortable asking. Many are put off by having to ask. I know I am put off when I see “Ask Me” in a masseur ad. I skip those guys entirely when I am hiring. I like someone straightforward, honest, and fair. “Ask Me” is the first clue that they aren’t what I am looking for. A baseline rate is essential for giving the client some sense of whether he should even bother spending his time engaging the masseur with questions.
Also, if you have “Ask Me” and no other rate info in your ad, you can’t complain about “time wasters” asking too many questions about your rates and your services. You either be upfront in your ad, or be prepared to patiently answer all of your prospective clients’ many questions in a prompt, professional manner. 

Then they should advertise on rent men. 

Said this before and I will say it again...if your listed price is "ask," I will be asking another masseur. Nothing screams "up charging" based on client preference over charging for the work you actually provide like not having a listed price for service. And yes I know I can search the reviews for clues but no thanks. 
Rent Masseur has become much griftier in the last couple of years. If you are a masseur you should have a published base rate
 

I was checking the reviews of a therapist I visited a few months ago. I plan on seeing him again, and I just haven't made it happen.  One of the reviews thanked him for an ego boost, and I had also had a pretty good ego boost from him.  I realized I might be the equivalent of the guy at Hooters who believes the servers actually think he's funny, cute, etc.  Ha ha.  I'm sure he is 100% genuine in all of his compliments of his client  
The other one is a request for an opinion.  There is a therapist who offers additional services.  I don't request those.  In fact, I proactively state I don't want those.  I pay and tip in advance, so he knows exactly where I stand on that.  But he has started to go there anyway.  I stopped him, and he immediately stopped.  This has happened twice.  Do you think he's trying to increase his tip?  Or is he just caught in the moment and HE WANTS to go there?  If we weren't in a transactional situation, he'd be bounds out of my league.  So I'm leaning to the idea that he wants additional tip.  I also think I'm probably the only client who tells him I don't want that, and maybe he just does that out of habit.  But I'm sure he has more presence of mind than that. What do you think?

Asian Roulette now surpasses Russian Roulette!

My intention was not to complain about him, but to share my experience with him. That’s the purpose of these blogs, right? You may agree or you may not. Jorge was very nice the whole time even if things got too hot and heavy. I was just not prepared for all that he was offering. And I own not speaking up while it was happening. That’s on me. Many of us have been in similar situations with Jorge or with someone else. But I asked for a massage and even though I was expecting a happy ending, we did not chatted more about what his whole package included. Maybe we should have had that conversation at the very beginning, but we didn’t. I learned my lesson. But thanks for the suggestion.

Anyone met this provider? The ad is somewhat new, but the pic is familiar. 
 
https://www.masseurfinder.com/massage-therapists/47514/
 

You WILL get old and will be faced with the challenge of finding satisfaction in life as an older man.  Those sad old men lurking in bars haven't yet figured out how to negotiate that challenge.

Stop going to gay bars.

Tip even if the service is shitty?!
I suggest having the exact amount whenever seeing someone for the first time, precisely for this reason.
And if someone is an exceptionally assholesque, as in blocking you, deleting your review, or not delivering what they promised, they deserve a fake appointment from another number that you cancel 15 minutes into it, with a message of your choice. Think of this as community service. They need to understand that there are consequences to scamming their clients.

From Schedule I to III. It remains controlled substances. The only difference is researchers can access cannabinoids more easily, which is a good thing. It is so much a hassle to deal with Schedule I drugs.

I need to get in on this action next year.
Me, pretty much:

Chalk it up as a lesson.
"Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry."
- Polonius, Hamlet Scene 1, Act 3

The best advice I have heard on lending money is only lend an amount of money you would not be upset to never get back. It's crazy how many people lend money and put themselves into debt to do it or financial difficulty. Obviously that wasn't you @Rick M but just my input.

You got scammed dude, it happens to the best of us. Move on and don’t make the same mistake again. Sorry he got one over on you. It sucks. 

As my father once said to me when I asked for a loan, "Son, if the bank doesn’t think you’re a good risk, why the fuck should I?"
He had a point and I learned a lesson.
Whenever someone asks me for a loan, I either say "no" or I give them the money and never expect it back. I will not ask nor hint to be repaid. I will however, never make another "loan" until the first one is repaid. 
So far that has worked for me. I’m not an ass about helping others. But I’m also not a sucker. And in general our friendships have remained intact. Whether or not they repaid me.

Here is his Booksy website link. I believe he is accepting new clients and is working his regular schedule through May. You can book online.
Sports Massage And Barber - La Habra - Book Online - Prices, Reviews, Photos
BOOKSY.COM Check out Sports Massage And Barber in La Habra - explore pricing, reviews, and open appointments online 24/7!  

https://www.masseurfinder.com/massage-therapists/31873/
I haven't seen a recent review of Michael, so I thought I'd share one.  
He's one of the nicest, most accepting people I've met.  He's very respectful of whatever boundaries you may have.  
His studio is in North Park, and he has a parking spot for clients.  It's easy to find.  His space is very relaxing and impeccably clean.  
His glute work is phenomenal, and the rest is also incredible.  
His prices are really good and the photos don't do him justice.  

Sad news (for us): Edras is retiring from massage therapy work. Starting June 2024 he works weekends only through the end of the year, then no more. 😢 

If Cleopatra's fate is any indication, a bad experience is in your future if you book him.

As discussed elsewhere there the culture of “I know my own worth”, “I don’t want to deal with cheap clients” etc can disrupt what should be easy market dynamics (ie it works or it doesn’t work so move on).
And all this gets internalized by some to equate their rate to self esteem etc 
What should be the freest market becomes tangled with all sorts of 21st century / millennial entitlement